The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has stepped in to prevent further forfeitures by Arunachal Pradesh in the ongoing domestic season. The board will organise independent selection trials for the state's men's and women's teams across senior and age-group events following an administrative dispute.
Arunachal Pradesh forfeited its opening 2026-27 Ranji Trophy Plate Group match against Nagaland in Ahmedabad on October 11. The state also missed fixtures in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy and the Under-19 Women's T20 Trophy, leaving players without proper preparation for the domestic season.
ACA Leadership Dispute Disrupts Arunachal Pradesh's Domestic Campaign
The ACA held its elections in September 2026, with Nabam Vivek elected president. Several district cricket associations challenged the election process before the Itanagar bench of the Gauhati High Court, which reserved its order. The stay left the association unable to make key administrative decisions.
Players were left uncertain about reporting instructions, while the state's teams struggled to participate in domestic competitions. The senior team's forfeiture against Nagaland was followed by further setbacks at the junior level, disrupting Arunachal Pradesh's domestic campaign.
Arunachal Pradesh's Under-19 team failed to field a side against Sikkim in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy in Bhubaneswar on October 8. It was the team's second consecutive league match forfeiture. The state also missed the Under-19 Women's T20 Trophy.
The BCCI initially hesitated to intervene because the dispute was before the court. The legal proceedings complicated the situation, leaving the board to review the documents before deciding how to protect the players and keep the state's domestic campaign on track.
BCCI Appoints Independent Panel to Conduct Selection Trials
The BCCI has appointed Apex Council member M. Khairul Jamal Majumdar as convener of the selection process, as reported by Sportstar. Majumdar, who hails from Mizoram, travelled to Arunachal Pradesh last week to oversee the trials and help resolve the immediate problems.
The independent three-member selection panel comprises former Assam cricketers Satya Gopal Chakraborty, Jayanta Chowdhury and Deep Bora. Chakraborty will serve as chairman, with the panel responsible for assessing players and selecting squads on merit.
The committee will conduct trials for the Ranji Trophy, Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy, Senior Women's T20 Trophy and Vijay Merchant Trophy. The process covers the state's senior and age-group teams, including its women's side, to ensure Arunachal Pradesh can field teams across the domestic competitions.
To prevent local interference, the BCCI has placed advertisements in regional newspapers inviting players to participate in the trials. The board also expects to appoint the required support staff by Wednesday, giving the teams time to prepare before returning to their domestic campaigns.
Devajit Saikia Says BCCI Will Prioritise Players' Interests
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the board acted after reviewing the legal documents and understanding the dispute between the two factions within the ACA. He explained that the board received information about the case too late to prevent the opening Ranji Trophy forfeiture.
“When we got to know about the legal case, it was very late, so we could not do much ahead of the first game as there was no time and we also needed to study the legal matters,” Saikia said.
“The BCCI will do everything, keeping the players’ interest in mind. After we came to know about the ongoing bickering between the two factions in the ACA over election, and studied all the legal documents, we decided to step in and ensure that the players don’t suffer,” he told Sportstar.
“We cannot allow the teams to go without participating in this season’s domestic competitions. So, it was our prerogative to find a solution,” he said.
“There will be no outside interference. The three-member committee will independently conduct the trials and pick the squads based on merit,” Saikia said.
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